The Prime Of Life
by pottermum
Summary: After having his three exuberant grandchildren for an overnight stay, James Potter realises he's getting old-er! A fun, long AU one shot.


A/N So this veered into something completely different than what i set out to write. A fun one shot about James and Lily looking after their boisterous grandkids. I fully expected to end it with Lily's return to the house, but James wouldn't let me go, and the story became about him, and his midlfe crisis. I guesstimate him to be in his mid to late fifties in this story. First time Ive written a story that hasn't been Harry/Ginny, but I love writing their kids. Many thanks to CharmHazel for her comments and advice, and her help with the correct spelling of hippogriph. Sirius, his crossword, and I thank you, Sarah.

Lily Potter scooped up the now cool biscuits from their tray and placed them into her tin. Just as she was about to put the lid on, a familiar hand reached in to snag a couple. She lightly smacked it. "James, those are for the kids!" she scolded.

"But there's plenty, and I just wanted one," whined James. "You know chocolate chip is my favourite."

"If you only wanted one, why did you reach for three?" grinned Lily knowingly, "and chocolate chip is also our grandchildren's favourites, and they'll be here very soon!"

Just as she said it, she heard her son coming through the front door, calling out to them. She turned to head towards him, but stopped, looking back at her husband. He gave her an innocent look – which didn't fool her for a second – then she banished the biscuit tin to the highest shelf in the kitchen.

"Come on," she beckoned, and with a last glance at his lost biscuits, James followed her to the front lounge.

"Grandpa!" James bent over to scoop both his grandsons into his arms. "James, Al, my boys!" he cried. The seven and five and a half year old laughed.

Harry smiled to see his sons hug and kiss their grandpa, while he handed a giggling nearly three year old Lily Luna to his mother. "Hey Mum," he greeted, kissing her cheek. "Dad." He put down the backpack that Ginny had packed changes of clothes in for the kids.

"Who wants to get up to some mischief?" James asked his grandsons.

"Me, me," they both cried, and with a wink to his son, he took the boys back to the kitchen.

"Me too, me too," cried Lily, wiggling to be set down. She toddled after them, dragging her stuffed unicorn with her. "Wait for me."

"Bye," called Harry, looking crestfallen when nobody answered him. "Wow, suddenly I feel superflous. I was expecting tears, especially from Lil."

"Oh, go on with you, they're just excited to be here. Go, grab Ginny and get out of here. Tell her we're very proud of her, being elected to the Women's Sporting Hall of Fame. It's nice that the ceremony is in Paris. We'll have a nice dinner for her when you return," smiled Lily.

"Thanks again, Mum. Gin's just home finishing off her packing. Are you sure about -"

"Yes, Harry, I wouldn't have offered otherwise," said Lily, urging him to the door.

Harry looked back over his shoulder, eager for one last glance of his children. However, there was no sign of them. "Don't forget Lil needs a nap still...and don't go giving the boys too much sugar. You'll – "

"Harry, it'll be fine, I have done this before, you know. Now go, you and Ginny can do with some alone time. Maybe get a start on grandbaby number four, unless there's something you want to tell me!" suggested Lily, slyly.

Harry laughed. "You don't need to sell me on that, Mum, it's Ginny you need to talk to. But seriously, I'm really looking forward to getting away for the weekend, just her and me. Still..." He looked forlornly at the door where his children had just gone through. "Should I go say goodbye, you think?" Even now he could hear the shrieks of laughter.

Lily shook her head. "I'll tell them for you, now go. Have a great time in Paris."

Harry nodded, and with a last longing look, he left. Lily gave a sigh of satisfaction then walked back to the kitchen. She stared in astonishment. "James, what have you done?"

Albus Sirius grinned down at her, as he was levitated up to the biscuit tin. "Look at me, Grandma, I'm getting biscuits." He reached in and pulled out a small handful.

"I did it first," chimed in James Arthur, his mouth already full of biscuit. Lily already had chocolate smeared across her mouth and on her hands. She smiled up at her grandmother.

"James!" scolded Lily.

"What?" asked James and little James. They grinned at each other, then innocently looked back at Lily. James carefully levitated Albus down. He shared out the biscuits.

"Now me?" asked Lily Luna, her arms outstretched.

"No!" said Lily, with a sharp look at James.

He shrugged. "You said they were for the kids," he said. "They were delicious," he added, hoping to get out of trouble. "Your best ever."

"Delicious," agreed little James and Albus. Lily Luna nodded, her mouth still full of biscuit.

Lily simply shook her head. "Seriously, James?"

"Did someone mention my name?" Sirius stepped out of the floo in the kitchen.

"I'm Albus Sirius-ly," grinned Albus. Sirius high fived his namesake.

Lily Luna ran gleefully to her Uncle Sirius, and he picked her up. She placed her chocolate-y hands on either side of his face, and kissed him sloppily. "Unca Siri," she cheered.

"Ugh, thanks Lil," said Sirius, feeling the stickiness on his cheeks.

"Here, let me," said Lily, coming to his side. She took out her wand and did a simple Scourgify charm on Sirius' cheeks and Lily Luna's hands. "Clean as a whistle," she said.

"Clean as a whistle," parroted Lily Luna. Sirius nuzzled her cheek, making her giggle again.

"Why don't you and Sirius take the kids outside, let them run around for a bit," suggested Lily. Potter Manor sat on expansive grounds, with plenty of room for the kids to run, to fly, to play.

"Yeah, let's go," cried little James.

"Down to the pond," called Albus, right behind his brother. They were out the back door before James and Lily knew it.

"Go on, shoo," urged Lily.

"Shoo," repeated Lily Luna. She laughed in delight when Sirius flipped her upside down, following James out the door. "Gwandma, look at me."

"James, Sirius, watch those children," called Lily, as she saw them stroll after the runaways. She sighed and shook her head. "Maybe I should have the children watch over the men," she said to herself.

James and Albus had a huge headstart on them. "We'll never catch them on our two legs," grinned James.

"Are you suggesting...?" Sirius looked at James, who arched an eyebrow, and nodded. Seconds later, a stag and a black dog stood in their place.

Lily Luna clapped delightedly. "Pwongs," she said affectionately, patting him softly. He nuzzled against her hand. "Paddy," she said, throwing her arms around the dog, who lowered himself so she could climb on his back. She held on tight, used to Padfoot carrying her like this. Then away they went, bounding away to catch up with the two boys.

"Aw, no fair," complained James, as they quickly caught up to him and Albus. He brightened up when Prongs came up next to him and allowed him and Albus to climb on his back. James held onto Prongs around his neck, and Albus held on to James.

They bounded around, chasing each other, running between the trees. After ten minutes, Sirius and James collapsed in exhaustion, and transformed back. James fell on Sirius, and Albus and Lily fell on their grandpa.

"Bring back Prongs and Paddy," they implored.

"Prongs and Paddy need a time out," panted Sirius.

Lily came over to him and crouched down. "Paddy been naughty?" she asked, for time out at home meant someone ( usually James) had been naughty.

Sirius picked her up and held her airborne. "Paddy's a good boy, he's never naughty," he informed her. "He just needs a rest." Lily Luna giggled as he spun her around.

"Why don't you kids run along for a bit," said James.

"Okay, Grandpa," agreed James, and he and Albus ran off, with Lily Luna following them.

Sirius and James looked at each other, still puffing and panting. "Merlin, we're not getting old...are we?" asked James, wiping the sweat from his forehead.

Sirius looked affronted. "I happen to be in greatg shape, thank you very much. As for you, _Grandpa,_ this is what happens when you settle down to domestic bliss. I warned you this would happen, the night before your wedding. Hey, maybe I'm a seer," chuckled Sirius.

James nudged his best friend – his brother in all but blood – "Like you wouldn't give anything to have what I have. A gorgeous wife, a great son, who married a wonderful girl who has given us the best grandchildren in the world!" he scoffed.

Sirius sat up, his arms leaning on his crossed legs as he watched the kids run further away. "Yeah...actually, I would," he admitted, somewhat sadly.

"If this is getting old, then bring it on," boasted James.

"Er, James," started Sirius, before James interrupted.

"I mean, what's the alternative? A life without Lily?" asked James, rhetorically.

Sirius got to his feet. "James, I -"

"It just doesn't bear thinking about. Not seeing our son grow, go to Hogwarts, marry-"

"JAMES?" yelled Sirius.

James looked up. "What?" he asked.

Sirius pointed...to nothing. "The kids?"

James looked out. "Where are they?" He stood quickly.

Sirius nodded, already taking off in a jog. "Exactly!"'

James paled and caught up with Sirius. "I can't tell Lily I lost them after only half an hour, she'll kill me...and you, then me again!"

"Ah, domestic bliss!" taunted Sirius, as they now broke into a run. "Not to mention telling your son and daughter-in-law you lost them. Hmm, I haven't seen Ginny's Bat Bogey hex in awhile. Not since Neville's bachelor party, when Harry – "

James gulped. "Shut up and run faster, you old dog!" He ran faster, dodging trees and bushes.

Sirius barked in laughter, and followed James to the pond, ,where they heard the sound of splashing.

"Gwampa, look at me, I'm a mermaid!" called out Lily Luna.

"Thank Merlin," sighed James, as she waved to him from the pond. "Whew, that was close!"

"Er, James, I'm pretty sure Lil wouldn't like the kids swimming in the pond," suggested Sirius. "Can little Lil even swim? And where's the boys?"

"Harry and Ginny have been teaching her at the Burrow, and – holey underpants, James!" cried James

With a yell that even Tarzan would be proud of, James swung out of the tree on an old tyre, attached to a rope on a large branch. When he swung over the water, he let go, making a big splash.

"That's new," noted Sirius.

"Put it up a week ago," nodded James proudly. "Arthur and I are talking about building them a tree house."

They watched on as Albus copied his older brother, making a smaller splash in the water. James had swum to Lily and was swimming with her on his back.

"All right, time to get out," called James, deciding to take charge of the situation.

"Aw Grandpa, five more minutes," pleaded little James.

"Come on, Grandpa," coaxed Albus.

Lily Luna defiantly shook her head. "No! I'm still mermaid Lily, Gwampa, I'm not weal Lily yet."

Sirius snorted. James ignored him, as he got closer to the edge of the pond. "Sorry, but you have to get out now. Mermaid Lily needs to find her legs, or Grandma Lily will have Grandpa's head...on a platter."

He looked on approvingly as little James and Albus came out of the water, and began to shiver. Sirius did a drying spell on them, then they watched as James tried to coax Lily Luna out. "Come on, Lily, sweetheart, for your Grandpa?" he begged.

Lily giggled. "I'm still a mermaid, Gwampa. I'm gonna swim all the way to Hogwots, and see Hagwid."

James sighed, there was nothing else to do. "Oh no, you're not. Sirius, I'm going fishing. He conjured up a large fishing pole, and a net. He then waded into the water and cast a line.

Lily shrieked in delight as he caught her and began to reel her in, then scooped her up in his net. He tickled under her chin as he waded out. "Look what I caught, Sirius. A Lily mermaid!" He then tickled her all over, making her squeal with laughter.

"No, it's me, Gwampa, weal Lily. I'm not a mermaid anymore, see." She showed him her legs, kicking out and kicking him in the stomach.

"Oof," winced James, hunching over. "Here...go to Uncle Sirius." He handed the little girl over as he tried to regain his breath.

Sirius flipped her upside down again. "Let's go find your brothers...they've been too quiet for too long," he said.

James looked up and nodded, and they started to walk away from the pond.

Lily Luna squirmed to get down. "Pwetty flowers," she pointed. "Can I pick some for Gwandma?" Sirius nodded and set her down. She immediately ran off.

"Where are those boys?" asked James, looking around. "You know, this is all their Weasley genes. Harry was never one to run away."

"Maybe not," agreed Sirius, for Harry _had_ been a sweet boy growing up, rarely giving his parents any worries, " but I doubt _your_ parents would say the same."

James snickered. "Hey, remember the time we-"

"Hey Grandpa, catch!"

James just had time to look up and hold out his hands and catch Albus, who had jumped out of a tree. "Oof!" Once again, the air was knocked out of him.

Sirius instantly looked up in time to see a mischievous grin on James Arthur's face before he launched himself at Sirius. He held out his arms in hope, and held the boy close as he landed in his arms. "Good catch, Uncle Siri," congratulated little James, not the least concerned for his safety.

James and Sirius exchanged looks of disbelief at the boy's nonchalant attitude. Almost immediately, they turned to look for Lily Luna, and of course, she was nowhere to be seen.

"Merlin, you need eyes in the back of your head watching this lot," mutttered Sirius.

"We saw a man like that at St Mungo's the other day. Mummy told us not to stare, but he stared first," said Albus.

"Let's go find Lil," suggested little James, once Sirius let him go.

James couldn't take it anymore. "Levicorpus!"he cried, and little James and Albus swung upside down in the air. "Now, you boys stay there while we go find Lily," he said sternly.

"Wee, this is fun," said little James, gleefully. He knocked Albus, who swung widely back into little James. He then spun little James around.

"Come on, Padfoot, while they're having fun, we need to find Lil," urged James.

"Now I'm suddenly remembering all the good things about being single and fatherless," quipped Sirius, smugly.

They found Lily Luna fairly quickly, for she had gathered a small bunch of flowers then laid down and fallen asleep.

"She's an angel," sighed James, happily. He gently picked her up and carried her back to the boys. Only to find his wife had beaten him there.

"James Fleamont Potter, why are my grandsons hanging upside down?" demanded Lily sternly, making little James and Albus snicker and whisper, _'Fleamont!_ ' She took a look at the sleeping Lily and her expression softened.

"Well, you see, Lil," started James, sheepishly. Sirius remained quiet behind him, not wanting to face the wrath of Lily Potter.

"I'm getting' dizzy," complained little James, providing Lily with a distraction.

"Think I'm gonna be sick," said Albus.

Lily came over and took Lily Luna from James, then hissed – so as not to wake the little girl - "Set them down – NOW!"

"Yes, dear," said James, then scowled when he heard Sirius snort behind him. "Liberacorpus." He gently lowered little James and Albus down.

"I'm going to go and put Lily down for a nap. Boys, I think you should come back to the house for an afternoon snack and play some quiet games for a bit," said Lily, in a voice even the boys knew not to argue with.

"Yes, Grandma," they said obediantly, and followed along behind her.

"Oh, they're good," whispered James to Sirius. The two men followed behind the boys, watching them be as good as gold for the grandmother.

Lily went to put Lily Luna down for her nap, leaving James to supervise the boys washing their hands. All was going well till little James decided to splash Albus, who immediately splashed his brother back.

"Boys, no, James, turn the tap off... no, I mean it – Albus, put the sponge down. Boys, stop, or I'll get grandma!"

The effect was instantaneous, as the tap was turned off and the boys dried their hands, both fighting to use the same towel. Albus was done first, and turned to stick his tongue out at his brother, before running away.

James sighed as little James hurried after Albus, and looked around at the mess the boys had done in less than two minutes. _'Thank Merlin for magic',_ he thought, as he used his wand to clean up the mess.

The boys had their snack and then played happily together, under their grandmother's watchful eyes. James and Sirius began to relax, happy to let Lily take over.

Lily was helping the boys with a jigsaw puzzle when she whispered something to them and they cheered and nodded. She then came over to James, placing her hand on his shoulder. "I need to run to Diagon Alley for a bit, thought I'd take the boys with me. You don't mind, do you? I just need you to listen out for Lily to wake from her nap, okay?" she asked.

James sighed in relief. "Sure, we can do that!" Sirius nodded as Lily swung her eyes to him.

"Good," affirmed Lily. "We shouldn't be too long, maybe a couple of hours. I told the boys they could stop in and see their uncles George and Fred."

"Take your time, two hours, three, it's fine," said James, waving his hand as if it was no big deal.

Lily grabbed her purse and kissed James on the cheek. "Okay." She walked past Sirius, who pointed to his cheek. Lily sighed and rolled her eyes but stopped to kiss his cheek too. "Behave!" she warned them both, then took hold of the boy's hands and used the Floo.

"Sweet!" grinned James, getting up to get another two Butterbeers out of the fridge and handing one to Sirius. He Accio'd the biscuit tin down and placed it on the table. "By the time Lily gets back with the boys, it will be nearly time for Harry and Ginny to come and pick them up," he said, rubbing his hands together.

"Merlin, they're a handful. Reckon it was like this for MacGonagall with us at Hogwarts?" chuckled clinked their bottles together, in memory of good times past.

"Maybe we should send her some flowers, kind of a late apology," suggested James, remembering some of the many things they'd done under the watchful eye of their head of house.

"Just think, in three years she'll have Remus' boy there, then she'll have young James," sighed Sirius.

"Want to bet she retires before then," quipped James. They clinked their bottles together again, just as sleepy Lily Luna walked in, rubbing her eyes.

"Gwandpa?" she asked sleepily, looking around. She climbed into James' lap. "Where's Gwandma, Jamie and Albie?"

James cuddled his granddaughter close, kissing her forehead. "They had to go to Diagon Alley for a bit, sweetheart," he said.

"Wivout me?" asked Lily, heartbroken. "I want Mummy and Daddy." She began to cry.

"Aw, baby girl, don't cry. Mummy and Daddy will be here later, and Grandma and your brothers will be back soon," soothed James.

But Lily Luna was inconsolable. "Want Mummy and Daddy," she wailed.

James and Sirius tried everything they could think of to cheer Lily Luna up. Finally Sirius asked her. "Lil, what can we do to cheer you up?", hating to see her so upset.

Lily Luna sniffed, wiping her nose on her Grandpa's shirt. "C-could we have a tea party?" she asked. "Wiv tea and cake?"

Sirius looked at James, who shrugged. "Sure, we can. Anything to make our favourite girl smile again."

Lily Luna smiled tearfully. "And my un-a-corn can come too, and we can dwess up?" she asked hopefully.

"Sure," agreed James. He pulled out his wand. "What do you want to be?"

"A fairy pwincess," said Lily Luna.

James waved his wand and her shorts and tee changed to a dress fit for a princess, including a tiara. She clapped her hands in delight. "You have to be pwincesses too, Gwandpa," she chortled.

James transfigured his clothes to one of a prince. "Can't I be Prince James, come to have high tea with Princess Lily?" he asked.

Sirius snorted. "Nice tights, James. Oh, how I wish Remus was here to see this," he chortled.

"Okay, Gwandpa, you can be the pwince. That means Unca Siri has to be the other pwincess," she said.

The look of laughter died on Sirius' face. " Wha- me?"

James took out his wand. "What colour gown would you like, Princess Siri? Pink, Purple?"

"No, he has to dwess up. Gwandma has some pwetty dwesses, he should go look. Come on, Uncle Siri," said Lily Luna, grabbing his hand and dragging him away.

James preened at his velvet top and cloak, and looked down at his silk tights. He adjusted the crown on his head and picked up his sceptre.

Lily Luna returned, carrying her stuffed unicorn. She put it in one chair, and sat in the other. James busied himself making tea and putting together a plate of slice cake, sent over from Molly Weasley. Lily Luna watched everything he did. Neither heard the Floo flare.

Sirius returned to the kitchen, adjusting the chest area of the dress. " What do you think, is white my colour?" he asked, swishing the dress.

"Hey, James, do you and Lil...what the hell? Sirius?" gasped Remus.

Sirius' head shot up and he covered his chest with his hands. "Remus!"

Lily Luna clapped. "Unca Remy can be the uvver pwince."

Remus smiled down at her, and patted her head, then looked at Sirius again. "Is that Lil's wedding dress?"

Sirius looked down in horror. "I thought it looked familiar."

"Merlin, get it off, quick," urged James.

Sirius started to disrobe there and then.

"Not here, the bedroom," hissed James, "and be careful of that dress. Lily's hoping Lily Luna might wear it one day."

"Now?" asked Lily Luna, looking hopefully at her grandpa and Uncle Remus.

"When you're a bit bigger and ready to get married, sweetheart," chuckled James.

"I'm marrying Daddy," said Lily Luna. "Mummy says he's a good husband. I want a good husband." She started to feed her uncorn some cake.

James and Remus exchanged amused smiles. "So, Remus, what brings you over?"

"Dora wanted to invite you and Lily to tea tonight, Sirius too," said Remus. "Shall we make the dress code formal?" He looked in amusement at James' tights.

"You're just jealous you don't have the legs to pull this outfit off," quipped James.

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that, James," laughed Remus, patting his friend on the back. "Six o'clock if you can make it." He left via the Floo, to tell his wife what he'd stumbled upon.

James poured the tea into the teapot and brought out three cups. "We need four cups, Gwandpa, for my un-a-corn," reminded Lily Luna.

James bowed. "As you wish, my princess." He poured a milky cup of tea for Lily, the unicorn and then one for him and Sirius.

Sirius returned to the kitchen. "Oh, this is much better. I haven't seen Lil in these dress robes before."

"Ah, that's because their her new ones," said James, frowning.

"You look pwetty, Unca Siri," said Lily Luna.

"Thank you, sweetheart," said Sirius, kissing the top of her head. He twisted and turned, joking, "I don't know, does it make my butt look big?"

James winked at Lily Luna. "No, but I can change that." He waved his wand and did an Engorgement charm, just as little James, Albus and Lily walked into the kitchen.

"Wow, look at Uncle Siri's big butt," chuckled little James. Albus came around Sirius' side to poke at it.

"Hey," said Sirius, twisting to avoid the pinch. They all heard a rip in the fabric.

"Are those my good dress robes?" asked Lily, looking in horror at Sirius, then James. "My _NEW_ good dress robes?"

Lily Luna tried to save the moment. "He looked better in your wedding dwess, Gwandma." She smiled at Sirius, who gulped at the look in Lily's eyes.

"My. Wedding. Dress? James?" She turned to her husband.

"Pwince James," corrected Lily Luna. Her grandmother looked at her. "He's the pwince and Unca Siri is the pwincess, so he has to look beautiful, Gwandma...and you have so many pwetty dwesses like for a pwincess."

"Lil, I'm sorry," apologised Sirius, shrugging the robes off. "I'll fix them, I promise, or I'll buy you new ones." He stood there in socks, and boxers. He waved his wand at the robes. "Reparo, Reparo."

Lily grabbed the robes off him. "Just go," she said, shooing him away. "Go, outside, both of you." She glared at her husband.

"Geesh, what did I do?" asked James, then held his hands up in surrender. "Okay, okay, we're going."

He and Sirius stepped outside. Lily was behind them, and she called out. "Aguamenti. Get them, boys!"

Little James and Albus stepped out with water wands, and squirted them gleefully.

"Hey, what the -" sputtered James, holding his hands up to cover his face. Sirius was trying to cover his modesty, as the water made his boxers transparent.

Little James and Albus soaked them thoroughly. "I think that's enough, boys," said Lily, in satisfaction, minutes later.

The boys laughed and ran inside. Lily tossed the men a towel to dry off, as they didn't have their wands to do a drying charm.

James and Sirius returned to the kitchen, to find little Lily feeding her unicorn. They sat at the table, to drink their tea.

"Toffee?" asked Lily, offering them a bag. "I brought some lollies at a shop in Diagon Alley."

Sirius took one, hoping it was Lily's way of saying things were all right between them. James took one because he fancied something sweet, and there were no biscuits left in the tin. Neither saw Lily Luna watch them interestedly.

They heard the boys snicker. "Wha's goin on?" asked James, his tongue feeling swollen.

"Dames...somefing...not wight," stammered Sirius.

"It's a lolly from Unca George and Fwed's shop," informed Lily Luna, brushing her unicorn. "Mummy never lets me have any."

"Ton-tongue toffee, actually," said Lily. "It's a new product from George and Fred Weasley's shop. Has an Engorgement charm in it, just like the one on your ar- er, behind."

"Bwuddy 'ell," cried James, in alarm, as his tongue was now at two feet and continuing to grow.

Little James and Albus whooped and hollered, running around like crazy. Sirius and James were gesturing desperately to Lily, until she finally took pity on them and decided to shrink their tongues back to their original size.

"Fanks, Lil," said Sirius. James had rushed to the bathroom to check out his tongue.

"What time did Harry say he and Gin would be back to pick up the kids?" he asked, glancing at the clock as he returned to the kitchen.

"Oh, didn't I tell you?" asked Lily, innocently. "I persuaded Harry to stay the night in Paris. Such a romantic place, they could really do with a get away. And if Ginny isn't already pregnant, well... wouldn't another grandchild be amazing, James?" she asked, her eyes twinkling.

James' mouth fell open. The grandkids were staying the night? He loved them and all, but...!

"Custard Cream, Grandpa?" asked Albus, holding it out to him.

"Er, I just remembered I have some place to be," said Sirius. "Be, be, be," he repeated in relief, as his tongue returned to normal.

"I thought you were staying for dinner?" asked James, taking a bite of the biscuit. POOF A golden canary with a tuft of black hair sat in his chair.

"Bahahahahahaha," howled little James and Albus. Lily joined in, especially when the bird flew onto her shoulder and chittered angrily in her ear.

"Defintely not," said Sirius, hurrying to the Floo. The canary followed him, twittering non stop, then poohed on his head. "Oy," he said, as he placed his hand on his head. "Eugh!"

James the canary flittered back to his chair, somehow managing to look disgruntled, even as a bird. Before he knew it, he was back to his old self.

"What was it like to fly, Grandpa?" asked little James.

"Here, knock yourself out, kiddo," said James, taking a jam tart out the bag. He waited, but nothing happened.

"They're just tarts from the Leaky," grinned Lily. "Boys, time for a bath. Perhaps Grandpa could supervise," she suggested.

"I've already had my soaking for the day, thanks Lily," huffed James. He got up to go into the lounge to read the Daily Prophet in quiet.

The boys were surprisingly good for their grandmother in the bath, and then played well together while Lily Luna had hers. They all helped to prepare the dinner, and once again, James was amazed that these three beautiful children were his grandchildren.

After dinner, they all enjoyed playing Exploding Snap as they listened to the Harpies - Cannons game. Lily Luna fell asleep in James' arms, and he carried her to bed, brushing a kiss on her forehead. "Goodnight, princess," he whispered softly. He was glad he had a granddaughter.

Little James and Albus were exuberant with their hugs goodnight, telling their Grandpa that he and Unca Siri were _the best!_ '

James heart was full as he returned from putting the boys to sleep, after reading them stories from Harry's old books. He joined Lily in the lounge where she had a glass of elf-made wine waiting for him. He took a sip, as he cuddled with his wife on the sofa.

"Hell of a day," he chuckled, "but all in all, we have the best grandkids in the world, don't you think?"

"Absolutely," agreed Lily, at once.

"Just need a bit of a heads up next time they're sleeping over," nudged James.

"Duly noted," chuckled Lily. "I think Sirius would say the same." She pictured Sirius and James dressing up to have a tea party. "The things we do for them," she laughed.

They sat together, listening to the end of the Quidditch match, and then were proud to hear them mention Ginny and the other women being added to the Women's Sporting Hall of Fame in Paris.

They closed the Floo and checked the children before going to bed. And early next morning, even before the sun rose, they had all three grandchildren in bed with them.

James found he quite liked morning cuddles with Lily Luna, even though the boys were a bit boisterous for his liking at that time of the morning.

"Well, they are Marauders in the making," smiled Lily, as she got up to prepare breakfast.

"Me, 'n Al 'n Teddy are gonna be M'rauders," little James told him.

" And me," said Lily Luna, not wanting to be left out of anything involving Teddy Lupin.

James patted the boys backs proudly. "You'll all make great Marauders," he told them.

"Breakfast!" called Lily, and they all bounded out of bed and hurried to the kitchen.

And later in the morning, when Harry and Ginny came over to get them – _my babies!_ – he watched on as the childen were reunited with their parents. There were hugs and laughs, and kisses and raspberries blown on cheeks, as well as lots of _'I missed you, Dad, I missed you too, son'_ \- that it made James feel teary. No matter what, they had raised a good son, and he and his wife were raising good children.

"Can we come again next weekend, Grandpa?" asked Albus. Lily Luna clapped her hands in glee, but was very happy to be back in her daddy's arms.

"Sounds like you all had a great time," said Harry, pleased.

"The best," agreed little James.

"Mum, Dad, I hope they behaved themselves," said Ginny, wondering why James was looking intently at her stomach.

"Hmm, what – oh, they were angels," said James, raising his eyes to look at his daugher-in-law. He peered closely at her. No, no pregnancy glow, thank Merlin!

"Not angels, Grandpa, we're M'rauders," refuted little James.

"And all that that entails," whispered Lily to Harry. He chuckled, having grown up in stories of the Marauders too.

"We really should get home. Thank you for having the children. We bought you some fancy Parisian chocolate as a thank you," said Ginny, handing over a box.

James took it warily. "Thanks, but we're a bit off sweets at the moment," he said.

Little James and Albus snickered, but waved goodbye as the young Potter family headed for their own home. Lily took the chocolates to put in the cupboard in the kitchen.

"Aah, peace and quiet," sighed James, sitting happily on the sofa with his hands behind his head. Then a thought hit him. "Wait – peace and quiet? When did I get old? Lily?" he roared.

Lily came hurrying in. "James, what is it?" she asked in alarm.

"Lil...am I...old?" he asked. He stood to peer in the mirror, checking this way and that.

"Aging gracefully, I'd say," said the mirror.

"You're not old, James. We were young when we had Harry, and he was twenty five when little James was born," Lily reminded her husband.

"Right, right," nodded James, still checking his reflection. "You know what, I'm going to go see Sirius, see if he and Remus want to do something today. All right, love?" he asked.

Lily nodded knowingly. "Go, see your old Marauder chums."

James winced at the _'old'_ comment. "Geez, Lil," he complained.

"Don't get up to mischief, James," she called out, as he headed for the Floo.

"That's kind of the idea, Lil," James said to himself. He Flooed to Remus and Tonks' home, only to find they'd been up half the night with their daughter Hope, who had a fever. He quickly left, after Teddy nearly threw up all over his shoes. Luckily they hadn't gone over for dinner last night. Tonks must have cooked, he guessed.

He then Flooed from theirs to Sirius', sure his best friend would be up for a day of fun, just like the old days. No, not the 'old' days, he reprimanded himself, the good ole, well, damn, the days of yesteryear. Nope, that sounded even worse. The _Hogwarts_ days, he decided upon, as he entered Sirius' house.

Sirius looked up as he entered. "Quick, what's a creature with ten letters, starting and ending with 'h'?" he asked, quill poised.

James thought for a second. "Er, hippogriph?" he suggested. He sat down opposite Sirius who was poised over the Daily Prophet, counting.

"Perfect. Three across, that would be Puddlemere, six down would be-"

"Hang on, are you doing the bloody crossword?" asked James. He grabbed the paper and pulled it to him, and looked at it in disbelief.

"So what if I am?" asked Sirius, defensively. He got up to put the kettle on. "Cup of tea?"

James grunted in agreement. "Hippogryph has a 'y'in it, 'g-r- _Y-_ p-h. Then eight across is Yeti," he said, filling it in and sliding the paper back to Sirius.

"Are you sure," said Sirius, doubtfully, checking the crossword. "So, the hooligans all gone?"

"If you mean my grandchildren, then yes, Harry and Ginny picked them up not long ago," said James, accepting the cup of tea Sirius handed him. "I came to see if you and Remus wanted to do something today, but Remus has got his hands full with sick kids. What about you? Want to do something crazy?"

"We-ll," said Sirius, reluctantly, "I was going to go to Diagon Alley, see if I can replace Lil's robes."

James sighed in disappointment.

"Hey, while we're there, why don't we stop in at the Weasley boy's shop, check out some of their products," suggested Sirius.

James eyes lit up and he rubbed his hands together. "Now, you're talking, Sirius. You ready, then?" he asked.

Sirius looked surprised. "Now? I haven't finished my crossword, James."

"Sod the crossword, it'll be here when you get home tonight," said James, crossly. "Come on, we're Marauders, we're young, well, not _young_ young, but, well, you know. We're Marauders!" he cried.

Sirius rolled his eyes. "Oh, boy. Feeling our age after having the grandkids yesterday, are you?"

James deflated. "Where did the years go, Sirius?"

Sirius shrugged. "Work, raising Harry, vacations."

James nodded. "I know, it's just...I don't like feeling old. When the grandkids left, I was glad of the peace and quiet. People used to say that about me, after _I'd_ left, you know?"

"The Hogwarts Days," said Sirius, knowingly. "Geez, we had some good times, didn't we? Makes me almost envious of Teddy and James and Albus, and all that lies ahead waiting for them."

"Yeah," agreed James. He brightened. "Hey, what do you say you, me and Remus get tickets for the World Cup next month. I'm sure Ginny could hook us up with tickets. We could really make it a Marauder's weekend, do some sight seeing while we're there, hit the pubs, watch you chat up the local lasses. What do you say?" he practically pleaded.

Sirius looked doubtful. "I don't know, that greasy food gives me gas," he complained, rubbing his stomach, "And my healer told me to lay off the foreign ale for a bit. Heartburn, you know. It gets pretty cold there, too...and isn't Remus and Tonks taking the kids to Greece next month?"

"Merlin, do you hear yourself?" asked James in surprise.

"What? Face it, James, we're not kids anymore. Admittedly, you're young for a grandpa, but we're well into our prime," said Sirius.

"Well, you stay here, _Grandpa_ , and do your crossword. Me, I'm going out to have some fun," said James, haughtily. As he left via the Floo he gave Sirius the finger after hearing him chuckle.

"Poor James," sighed Sirius, using his wand to correct James' mistake. "There...g-r-i-p-h, hippogriph, then I can use the I for Gringott's, and five across will be..."

/*/*/*/*

"I don't know, Alice, I think James is having a bit of a midlife crisis. Even Sirius said he was a bit over the top, and that's saying a lot," said Lily, talking to her best friend, Alice Longbottom in the Floo, while glancing at Sirius, who was waiting for James to return. He had been gone all afternoon. "Oh, I think I hear him now, I'll talk to you later. Say hi to Frank for me."

James came in carrying a small bag, his footsteps light. His face lit up at the sight of his wife and best friend.

"James, you're back!" sighed Lily in relief.

James nodded, looking at Sirius. "What are you doing here?"

"Boy, is the memory going now, too?" joked Sirius. James scowled. "We talked about going to Diagon Alley?"

"Oh, well, I already went. Lil, guess what, I got myself a job," said James proudly. He smirked at Sirius. "There's life in this old, er, dog yet...pun intended." Sirius smirked back.

"A job? But...you retired, remember? Said you were happy to continue sitting on the Wizenmagot but wanted to spend more time with your grandkids and me," said a surprised Lily.

James waved away her concerns. "I can still do that, it's just a few days a week. I'm the new creative consultant at Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes, Fred and George's shop. Those boys have got some great ideas, but they could certainly do with a bit of help from someone, er-"

"Older and wiser?" suggested Sirius, nudging Lily.

"With more knowledge," said James, shooting Sirius an annoyed look. "Now, if you'll excuse me, they've given me some products to test and possibly perfect." He turned to walk into the lounge, muttering, "Nasty Noughat? No- oh, Nosebleed Noughat, yeah, I like that better..."

Lily sighed and shot Sirius a look. "Is my husband having a midlife crisis?" she asked, in half jest and half concern.

"Nah, he's fine. The grandkids just took him by surprise yesterday," reassured Sirius. He shook his head when Lily offered him a cup of tea and a biscuit, vowing to stay clear of any treats from the Potter's in the near future.

"They certainly seemed to run you both ragged," said Lily, amused.

"It's that damn Potter/ Weasley combination of genes," grinned Sirius, "I don't know what he was expecting."

"Well, at least he looks happier now than when he left," shrugged Lily.

"Don't worry about James, I'll go grab him and take him to Diagon Alley with me while I get your robes fixed. I really am sorry about that, Lil," said Sirius.

"It's fine. It was worth it to see you like that," chortled Lily. "I can't wait to tell Alice and Tonks."

Sirius grimaced. "Yeah, well, Remus probably already told Tonks, he saw me when I had your wedding dress on."

Lily burst into laughter. Sirius stood. "Think I'll just go and get James," he said.

Lily followed him into the lounge, then they both stopped. James was in his chair, fast asleep and snoring softly. Packets of wheezes were still on his chest and lap.

"He denies he's old, but then has a nanna nap," chuckled Sirius.

"Hush, you," said Lily. She used her wand to Accio a blanket to cover him. She tucked him in and kissed his forehead. She then gestured for Sirius to follow her back to the kitchen. "You are _NOT_ to tease him about this, Sirius Black!" she warned.

"Aw, come on, Lil, just a little bit," whined Sirius, holding his forefinger close to his thumb.

"No," said Lily, adamantly. "Besides, he's not old, he's in the prime of his life, and don't you forget it!"

James enjoyed his work at WWW, and didn't even blink an eye when Harry and Ginny announced she was pregnant again, with babies number four...and five! He'd quickly worked out the best way to keep the grandkids amused was to let them try out and test potential products from the store, so he actually asked to spend _more_ time with the grandkids. Ginny was concerned, but Harry thought it great that his kids loved spending time with Grandpa James. Lily was happy to see the grandkids more, too.

James specialised in a line of safe but fun products for children under eight. Potter Pranks became one of the best selling lines of the store, making a lot of money for George and Fred, and James loved what he did. They all agreed it was the winning Potter/ Weasley combination that was the key to their success.

There was no more talk of growing old, even when they all went to see Teddy Lupin off to Hogwarts for the very first time. Little James, not so little anymore, wished it was his time to go, too.

"Your turn will come soon enough, James, and they'll be the best days of your life," said James to his namesake. "You'll meet friends, and maybe even meet your future wife," he said, with a look at his Lily, and to Harry and Ginny, holding their toddler's hands while comforting a sniffling Tonks. James and Sirius exchanged knowing smiles.

"Wife-yuk! I'm not getting married till I'm really old...like, twenty," decided little James, wrinking his nose. "I'm gonna come and work with you at WWW, Grandpa," he vowed.

"That'd be great, James," smiled James, as they turned to leave Kings Cross. "Hey, everyone, how about a trip to Fortescue's for ice cream, on me!"

The Potter children and Hope Lupin cheered, and their parents smiled in agreement too. And as James looked around at his family, he realised that there were still so many more great days to come. He was grateful he had the chance to see his beautiful family grow and prosper.

It was something he would never take for granted.

-END-


End file.
